Slashdot Mirror
First Human Embryos Edited In US (technologyreview.com)
randomErr shares a report from MIT Technology Review: The first known attempt at creating genetically modified human embryos in the United States has been carried out by a team of researchers in Portland, Oregon, MIT Technology Review has learned. The effort, led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health and Science University, involved changing the DNA of a large number of one-cell embryos with the gene-editing technique CRISPR. Until now, American scientists have watched as scientists elsewhere were first to explore the controversial practice. To date, three previous reports of editing human embryos were all published by scientists in China. Now Mitalipov is believed to have broken new ground both in the number of embryos experimented upon and by demonstrating that it is possible to safely and efficiently correct defective genes that cause inherited diseases. In altering the DNA code of human embryos, the objective of scientists is to show that they can eradicate or correct genes that cause inherited disease, like the blood condition beta-thalassemia. The process is termed "germline engineering" because any genetically modified child would then pass the changes on to subsequent generations via their own germ cells -- the egg and sperm. Reached by Skype, Mitalipov declined to comment on the results, which he said are pending publication. But other scientists confirmed the editing of embryos using CRISPR.
....when even the cannibals have to start worrying about GMOs.
They edited some embryos to remove defective genetic defects. Two healthy white babies were successfully delivered 9 months later. Parents Tyvek and Ledasha Washington were happy with the outcome since it allowed them to have children who are more likely to succeed despite their parents' elevated melanin levels.
even he seems to suggest no edits for purely cosmetic reasons. The safe money is that they specifically ban any edits that aren't correcting life-threatening conditions
And even safer money says a huge industry of cosmetic edits will pop up before life-threatening conditions even start regulatory approval trials. You'll just need to fly out of the country to do so.
The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
How long until real-life catgirls? Or all women with a C-cup chest size as the minimum?
Or all blondes with blue eyes? I think someone was fixated on that a few decades ago and it didn't turn out very well.
Why does it have to be about gratuitous cosmetic crap? People can already get plastic surgery, they don't need genetic modifications to look good if so inclined.
But what about no sickle cell anemia or cystic fibrosis? What about improving the human genome in a voluntary way without committing genocide?
Dream a little bigger than chest size! Not everyone like C-cups and catgirls, but no one likes to die young.
And given that some people won't even take vaccines, which have been around for at least 200 years (?), I think it's safe to say that there is no danger or the whole population immediately undergoing genetic modifications.
Really, gene editing has zero useful social functions like curing congenital heart defects, or adding aids resistance or any of the thousand of benefits? You are a moron.
You have to admit that this new ability to edit human genes does have the potential to be used in some pretty damned creepy and dangerous ways. Couple that with human nature and you're almost assured it will be, at some point. Do you believe someone like Kim Jong Un and N. Korea would hesitate to create "super-soldiers" and more with this?
An abundance of caution going forward is not uncalled-for considering the possible uses and results along with their depth, scope, and implications for humanity's future.
Strat
Progressivism (aka US 'Liberalism'): Ideas so good they need a police/surveillance-state to enforce.
Well in this case, the claim "by demonstrating that it is possible to safely and efficiently correct defective genes", is a bit fat lie. The only way that it is possible to demonstrate that is to allow the experiment to reach maturity. You might have managed your change but it is extremely hard to tell how much damage you have down especially to what they used to call junk genes, which in reality are a complex set of interrelated genes that don't turn stuff on or off but adjust how much they are turned off or on. Do not claim value or safety until the experimental subject has achieved maturity, else it is a lie.
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen